Development of a High-Resolution Global Soil Depth Dataset

Jon Pelletier, University of Arizona, jdpellet@email.arizona.edu (Presenter)

Soil depth information is crucial for quantifying the soil moisture dynamics that strongly affect terrestrial ecosystems and carbon/water/energy cycles, but such information is not available globally at present. Regional modeling has shown the climate system behavior to be sensitive to soil depth, hence in order for Earth System Models to properly model subsurface water storage and ecosystem functioning, improved estimates of the depth of soil above bedrock globally are needed. We propose to combine global 30 m topography data with geomorphic models, calibrated with available high-resolution soil-depth datasets for the United States and validated against available high-resolution soil depth datasets for Europe, to develop a high-resolution (30 arc-second/pixel, i.e. approximately 1 km/pixel) soil depth dataset for the world. We will also evaluate the impact of the soil depth data on the land model simulation of carbon, water, and energy fluxes at various flux tower sites over the tropics, mid- and high-latitudes in comparison with observations. The data uncertainty will be addressed from four different perspectives. This project is innovative, fusing theoretical models, remote sensing data, and field measurements, yet it is also based on techniques that have proved successful at predicting soil depth at watershed scales. As such, the project is highly likely to lead to an improved global soil depth dataset at the end of the two-year project period. This project is designed to meet one of the five top-priority goals for Terrestrial Ecology dataset development as identified by the NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program's Data Working Group and Modeling Working Group. It will use NASA satellite data in combination with available field measurements. It will help address the science-area objective "Quantify and predict changes in global land cover, biological productivity, ecosystems, and the carbon cycle" of the NASA Earth Science. We will closely coordinate our proposed data development with land modelers (including dynamic vegetation and carbon cycle), other data developers, observationalists (e.g., in flux tower measurements), and data centers (e.g., ORNL and EROS data centers) through several mechanisms. A detailed data management plan has also been developed.

Presentation: 2013_May01_PM_Pelletier_124.ppt (3588k)

Presentation Type:  Plenary Talk

Session:  Speed Talks

Presentation Time:  Wed 2:00 PM  (5 minutes)